Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said Monday that he has not yet made a decision on a controversial bill that would ban all consumable hemp products containing any amount of THC, despite mounting pressure from industry stakeholders, advocates and lawmakers. With just days remaining before the June 22 deadline to act on Senate Bill 3 (SB 3), the governor acknowledged that there are “meaningful positions and concerns on both sides of the issue.”
“I haven’t gotten to it yet,” Abbott told reporters during a Q&A following an unrelated bill signing. “There are meaningful positions and concerns on both sides of the issue, and I’ll look into all of those and evaluate all of those.”
His comments mirror similar statements made earlier this month, when he noted that SB 3 is just one of more than a thousand bills on his desk that require careful review.
SB 3, which passed the Texas Legislature last month in a 95-44 House vote, would outlaw all consumable hemp products that contain any detectable levels of THC. Advocates say this would effectively destroy the state’s hemp industry, which employs an estimated 53,000 people and includes roughly 8,000 retailers.
Opposition has been vocal and widespread. Veterans’ groups, including the Texas Veterans of Foreign Wars, have urged Abbott to veto the measure, warning it would “cause irreversible harm to communities across the state.” Farmers have also expressed alarm, saying the bill could devastate a key segment of Texas agriculture.
The Texas Hemp Business Council recently delivered over 100,000 signatures to the governor’s office urging a veto. A new poll commissioned by the group found that a majority of Republican primary voters also oppose the proposed ban.
Abbott has three options: sign the bill into law, veto it, or allow it to become law without his signature. For now, the governor remains noncommittal—though the clock is ticking.
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